Double die for molding hosiery and ankle forms



Aug. 3, 1954 l, GOODFELLCJW DOUBLE DIE FOR MOLDING HOSIERY Filed July 8,1950 2,685,104 AND ANKLE FORMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Isaac Goodfe ZZOQI Byhis Y Patented Aug. 3, 1954 UITED PTENT GFFICE DOUBLE DIE FOR M AND ANKLIsaac Goodfellow,

tion of New York OLDIN G HOSIERY E FORMS Auburn, N. Y., assignor to ShoeForm Co. lne., Auburn, N.

Y., a corpora- 2 Claims.

This invention relates to dies for molding hollow plastic articles andIf two apparel forms, such as hosiery display and ankle forms, may bemolded at a single operation.

hosiery forms adapted to be used in show Windows for displayingstockings. One particular die is illustrated in Letters Patent as air orwater under pressure.

In the patented die one end of the tubular stock is clamped directlybetween the edges of It will also be understood that a substantialproportion of the total time required for the production of a singleform is involved in placing the stock within the die and in clamping theparts of the die together.

One object of the invention is to devise a multicavity die constructionwhich will be more economical both with respect to the amount ofmaterial employed and with regard to the time required for theproduction of each form.

This is effected successfully in the multi-cavity die which is hereinillustrated and in which a plurality of foot-shaped cavities areembodied in a single die and are arranged foot to foot. The adjacentportions of the successive cavities are bounded by a common partitionhaving an aperture suiiciently large to permit the utilization of asingle piece of tubular stoel; of plastic material so positioned that itwill traverse all the cavities of the die.

An internally projecting rib is formed by the margin of this partition,which rib surrounds the aperture joining the adjacent cavities. By meansoi' this rib, the corners surrounding the end of each form are fullymolded and are left intact when the two forms are severed and thesurfaces thereof nished.

A feature of the invention resides in the employment of a filler pieceshaped externally like the internal contour of a portion of a die cavityand by the employment of which articles of different lengths rnay bemolded in the same die. This iller piece is arranged to hold one end ofthe stock.

These and other features of the invention will now be set forth in thefollowing specication taken in connection drawings in which.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the lower half of a twopart die illustrating apiece of tubular stock in position in the die;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View showing the lower half of a die, with acompleted form therein, and

half of the die slightly separated therefrom as it would be in theopening of the die;

for clamping one end of the tubular stock Which is to be expanded tofill the die;

Fig. 5 is an necting the adjacent cavities, the aperture being of a sizesufficient to permit a single piece of tubular stock material 30(Fig. 1) to be positioned in the die when it is in soft or flaccidcondition. More than two cavities, with connecting apertures may also bearranged to receive a single piece of stock. Although the die which isherein shown has the cavities arranged foot to foot, it will be clearthat they may be disposed so as to bring the tops closely adjacent or toposition a foot or bottom portion adjacent to the top.

Such a piece of tubular stock material may be expanded to fit theinterior surface of the die by clamping the two ends of the stock withthe aid of plugs 32, 34 having tubes 35 (Fig. 4) joined to pipeextensions 36, 31 by means of which fluid under pressure may be suppliedto the interior of the tubular stock. It will be observed that the plugs32, 34 each have a reduced neck portion 33 thus leaving a shoulder whichabuts the bottom 40 of a socket in the die in such a way as to resistoutward movement of the plug under the internal pressure of theexpanding fluid. The tubular stock is gripped between the circumferenceof a cylindrical portion 42 of the plug and the serrated or grooved wallA44 of an adjacent socket. Hence the wall of the socket is recessed bythese grooves to provide shoulders against which the end portions of thetubular material are expanded and are thus held against retraction intothe cavities. This leaves a neck portion 46 (Fig. 2) on the completedform from which the plug may be removed by an endwise movement but, ifthere is any sticking of the plug in the form the possible breaking ofthis neck portion 46 is of no consequence because in most cases it isremoved by trimming, in finishing the form.

The illustrated die is so arranged that the plug 32 at the right side ofFigs. 1 and 2 is associated directly with the end of the die itselfwhile at the left of these gures a two-part ller piece 56 has beeninserted between an end cover 52 and the body 54 of the die so as tomake a shorter form in the left-hand cavity 56. This ller vided inhalves as is the die, has its outer periphery shaped to exactly t theinternal contour of the upper part of the recess 56, is grooved at 58(Fig. 4) to give room for the pipe 36 which is secured to the plugagainst the bottom 40 of which the shoulder of the plug abuts. The bulkof this filler piece is reduced by making an angular recess 64 aroundit. The filler piece is attached to the end cover 52 by screws 62 andthe cover is positioned on and secured to an end of the die by means ofdowel pins 64 and retaining screws 66.

The resulting contour of the adjoining foot portions of the two forms Fis well shown in Fig. where it will be seen that the plastic materialhas been forced into the corners of the die such as that shown at l0 andis wrapped tightly around the rib 36 which surrounds the aperture 28thus forming a connecting neck 12 which will be cut away after theconnected forms have been taken out of the die.

In utilizing dies of the type herein illustrated, the upper half I0having been removed, a length of tubular stock 30 which has previouslybeen softened, as by heat, is clamped in position in the die by means ofplugs such as those shown at 32 and 34. The upper half l0 of the die isthen repositioned on the lower half with the assistance of the dowelpins I4 and the die held in closed position by bringing the platen ofthe press piece, di-

34 and includes a socket i 4 down against its upper surface. Assumingthen that the die has been heated, fluid under pressure is admitted tothe interior of the tube 36 to expand it into contact with the innersurface of the die. This having been accomplished, the fluid is shut offand cool water applied to chill the die and form and give the form apermanent set. After a suitable cooling interval, the die is opened andthe completed dual form put in a chilling tank. Subsequently the neckportions 46 at the outer ends are removed, the two forms are severed andany surplus material on the bottom of the foot portions thereof trimmedaway.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an apparatus for molding hosiery forms, a die having ends and aform-shaped cavity positioned between them for receiving a piece oftubular stock, a readily removable ller block occupying a substantialportion of the cavity and permitting the molding of a partial form, saidblock having its periphery shaped substantially to nt and to exclude thestock from the portion of the die which it occupies, means for holdingthe iiller block in the die with the periphery of its inner end ttingagainst the wall of the cavity, the inner end portion of said fillerblock having a recessed end, a hollow plug for clamping one end of thetubular stock in said recessed end, means for clamping the other end ofthe stock in the die, and means for delivering fluid under pressure tothe interior of the stock to expand it to nt the die.

2. In an apparatus for molding a plurality of hosiery forms, a diehaving form-shaped cavities positioned end to end and having an apertureconnecting the end portions of the cavities to permit the positioning inthe die of a piece of tubular stock extending through the aperture andalong the cavities, said die having an inwardly extending ridge aroundthe aperture joining the ad- `lacent cavities, a separable ller blockoccupymg a substantial fraction of the length of one form and having itsperiphery shaped substantially to fit the walls of the die which itoccupies, means for holding the iiller block in the die, the inner endof said filler block having a recessed end, a hollow plug for clampingone end of the tubular stock in said recessed end, means for clampingthe other end of the stock in the die at the end opposite to that havingthe plug, and means for delivering fluid to the interior of the stock toexpand it to fit the die simultaneously to make one full length form andone having a fractional length.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 965,480 McDaniel July 26, 1910 1,052,081 Miltner Feb. 4, 19131,106,625 Case et al. Aug. 1l, 1914 1,537,860 Miller May 12, 19251,566,903 Durst Dec. 22, 1925 1,624,704 Adams Apr. 12, 1927 1,871,413Koch Aug. 9, 1932 2,062,767 Sexton Dec. 1, 1936 2,222,461 De Witt et alNov. 19, 1940 2,248,898 Ross et al. July 8, 1941 2,449,512 Scheuer Sept.14, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 15,868 Great Britain A. D.1890

